Automatic-closing fire-door device.



A. V. ELM'H# L F. W. lV/kl'iNf AUTOMATIC CLOSiNG FIRE 000B E/Uli.

APPLICATION HLED JAN. 22. mm.

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AUTUMATC-GLOSING FIRE-130GB? DEVICE.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that we, ALBERT Gr. ELVIN, of Somerville, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, and FREDERICK MARTIN, of the-borough of Manhattan, 1n

the city, county, and State of New York,4

have invented a certain new and useful llmprovement in Automatic-Closing lresDoor evices, of which improvement the follow ing is a specication.

This'invention relates to Huid pressure motors for operating certain closures or other devices, and is particularly adapted for use in the opening and closing of lire doors of boiler furnaces, the object being to provide improved means for automatically effecting a positive closing of the fire door within a predetermined interval after the same has been opened, and thereby prevent the fireman from holding the door open for a longer period.

In this re door apparatus as used on locomotives, the fluid pressure motor for actuating the doors is usually centrolledl by a valve operated by a pedal device, and 1t has been the practice of some remen to hold the foot upon the pedal with the door open a sufficiently long period of time to deliver' several shovelfuls of fuel into the furnace.7 rlhis practice is objectionable, as large drafts of cold air are admitted to the furnace at such times through the wide open door, which tends to cool the fire and chill the water heating surfaces. With our improvement this is positively prevented, as the door will he promptly closed after a predetermined time even though the fireman retains his foot on the pedal.

With this object in view, our improve-v ment comprises, in combination with a duid pressure motor for actuating .the doortan expansion chamber device servlng as a t1m ing element in`which the pressure increases at a predetermined rate, and upon reaching a certain point, operates to ed'ect a closing of the door at a predetermined time after the opening of the manually oper-ated valve for actuating the motor. This application is a division of our former application Serial No. 868,611, filed October 26,y 1914.

In the accompanying drawing, the ligure shows, in vertical section, oneform of motor and expansion chamber device embodying pecicationof Letters Patent.

Patented dpr. 30, luid,

@mnnl application med October 36, will, Serial No. 868,611. Divided and this application fled January 22, 1916.. Serial N0.'73,59d.

our improvement, and connected to a pair of fire doors. Our improvement may be applied to various forms of fluid pressure motors and lire doors, butl in the drawing We have illustrated the saine in connection with a Huid pressure motor comprising a horizontal cylinder, 10b, containing a plston, 9b, having a pin and link connection with one of the doors, 6", which doors are provided with intermeshing segmental gears, 8b,'and pivoted to swing laterally and vertically. The doors are opened by admitting iuid under pressure to the Working face of the piston, and are normally closed by gravity when said Huid is exhausted to the atmosphere. For this operation a manual valve, such as 13, is provided for controlling the admission of fluid, such as compressed air, from a source of supply, 11, to the inlet port, 15, said valve also controlling the exhaust port, 16.

On locomotive boilers the manual valve is usually operated by a pedal device having an arm, 23, for raising the valve to its open position. According to the usual and proper practice, the fireman steps upon the pedal to raise the valve, and thereby close the eX- haust port, and open the admission to supply fluid to the piston to open the doors at the time he delivers a shovelful of coal. He then releases the pedal to close the valve, and open the exhaust port, whereupon the fluid in the cylinder escapes' to the atmos* phcre, and the doors immediately'close by gravity. At the time of delivery of the next shovelful, the valve is again raised, and the operation is repeated.

In order to effect an automatic closing of the doors, in case the fireman should retain his foot upon the pedal with the valve in its raised position, we provide a chamber of a given volume, and preferably having a restricted inlet passage through which the fluid flows at the time the'rnanually operated valve is open, and means, such as an auxiliary valve device operated by a given pressure in said expansion chamber for automatically effecting a return movement of the motor, and a closing ofthe doors at a predetermined time after the opening of the manual valve. is shown in the drawing, the expansion chamber, 31 communicates by pipe, 33, and small port, 38, with the working end of the cylinder, so that when the manual valve is raised to open the admission port, fluid also flows through port, 38, and pipe, 33, thereby building` up pressure in said chamber' at a certain rate depending on the capacity of said chamber and the size of said port. 'lhe exhaust from said chamn ber may be controlled by the manual valve, as by exhaust port, 37, and groove, 39, on the valve stern, 13a.

Various forms of means operated by a given pressure in the expansion chamber may be devised for effecting a return movement of the motor piston and a closing of the doors, that shown in the drawing comprising the diaphragm, 32, subject to the pressure in the expansion chamber, 31, and actuating the valve 34, for controlling an admission port, 36, tor supplying fluid from the pipe, 11, to the opposite end of the cylinder, and an exhaust port, 35.

When the valve, 13, is raised by the pedal device, ports, 16 and 37, are closed and fluid is admitted through port, 15, into the cylinder, Where it acts upon the piston, 9b, moving 'the same to the opposite end of the cylinder and opening the doors. At the same time fluid begins feeding through the restricted port, 38, and passage, 33, into the expansion chamber, 3l. lf the pedal device be released at this time, the door will promptly close as the fluid is then instantly exhausted through ports, 16 and 37, and the doors will swing downward by gravity; but ifthe pedal is retained in its open position with the valve, 13, raised, the fluid pressure in the chamber, 3l, acting on the diaphragm, 32, rises, in a short predetermined period of time, to a point sucient to open the valve, 34E, and close exhaust port, 35. Fluid is then admitted through port 36, tothe opposite end et' the cylinder, and as the piston is thus bal.- anced as to duid pressure, the doors descend by gravity to closed position, thereby also returning the piston to its former position from which it will not again be moved until the valve, 13', is first closed and then reopened. Upon closing the valve, 13, the iiuid is immediately released from the chamber, 3l, through passage, 33, and exhaust port, 37. IThe valve, 34, then closes, and the exhaust port, 35, opens, so that the duid is promptly released from both ends oi the cylinder, and there will be no movement of the piston.

lt is therefore apparent that, With our improvement the fire doors Will be automatically closed within a predetermined short interval of time after the opening of the manual valve even though the fireman retains his pedal device open, thereby insuring what is termed single shovel tiring, or the delivery of but one shovelful of fuel into the furnace at eachopening of the door.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and ters ljatent is: l

l. ln a tire door apparatus, the combina.- tion of a iuid pressure motor, a door, a manually operated valve for controlling admission or tiuid to said motor to open the door, and the exhaust therefrom to close the door, an expansion chamber, a conduit having a. restricted admission port for supplying duid to said expansion chamber, and means operated automatically by the pressure in said chamber for providing tor a. closing movement of the door at a predetermined time ai'ter the opening of the manual vaive.

2. The combination ot a fluid pressure motor, an element operated thereby, ay manually operated valve for controlling the admission of fluid to and the exhaust of the saine from said motor, au expansion chamber, a conduithaving a restricted. admission port for supplying fluid to said expansion chamber, and means operated by the pressure in said expansion chamber for providing for a return movement of said motor at a predetermined time after the opening of the manual valve.

3. rEhe combination of a. iuid pressure motor, an element operated thereby, a manually operated valve :for controlling the addesire to secure by Letmission of Fluid to and the exhaust of thesame 'from said motor, an expansion chamber, a conduit having a restricted. admission port ior supplying duid to said expansion chamber, and an auxiliary valve operated by the pressure in said chamber for providing for a return movement of said motor at a predetermined time after 'the opening of the manual valve.

The combination ci? tiuid pressure motor, an element operated t`ereby, an ei;- pansion chamber having a r stricted admission port, a manually opcratee valve for controlling the admission oiE duid to said motor and to the expansion chamber, said valve also controlling the exhaust Jrom said motor,

and means operated by the pressure in said expansion chamber for' providhng` for a return movement ot said motor at a predetermined time after the opening of the manual valve.

5. The combination ot a iuid pressure motor, an element operated thereby, an expansion chamber having a restricted admission port, a manually operated valve controlling the admission of to, and the exhaust from, said motor and the expansion chamber, and means operated by the pressure in saidexpansion chamber for providing for a return movement o' the motor at a predetermined time aiter the opening oi the manual valve.

6. The combination of a cylinder and piston, an element operated thereby, a manually operated valve controlling the admission 01"' Huid to and the exhaust from one sido of tho piston, un expnnsion chznnlmnp n conduit Mi* having n restricted admission port foi' said ohainiboi9 an auxiliary Valve operated by til@ L i Ei: omini I of ojindnif anni pim 'pinssure 1n said chamber for controlling the min in oinnionn i 'ein @om @Eponiidinission oi iilud to tho oppositie sido o :non cnmnooe? ii n nowicikoni. Win sion said piston, and means for preventing the who comb escape of fluid from said opposite side of the, piston.

The coi ninnition oi' :i oyiim ion., an @lement opoi'nted theioby, n sion chamber, a, conduit having; L To. adniisnion portfor said ohambei, :i nmnnnily' ogei'anted Valve controlling tho admission. ou Huid 41o one ond. of said cylinder zinc?. 'to in@ expansion chamber, fin anxiiifny miv@ on @rated by the expansion chamboir piossnio foi' opening an admission porn ino ich@ oppopont, n inainnziiiy opoizi'nd the aidmiiesion oi; cyl im' @lling 

